BY THE RURICK. SH 



situation. This discovery was besides not accidental. 

 What is much more meritorious than unexpectedly 

 meeting with an island, he looked for those islands 

 in these parts, which have been misplaced in the 

 charts, and employed two months and a half in 

 surveying them with the greatest accuracy. The 

 reader has seen by his account what courage and 

 ability he showed in minutely exploring these sin- 

 gularly formed islands, and what dangers he braved 

 to penetrate into the almost hermetically closed 

 basins. He is the first seaman who has ventured 

 to navigate these lakes, encircled with corals ; and 

 I believe I cannot be accused of partiality when 

 I affirm, that both in exploring these dangerous 

 islands, and in revisiting the equally perilous 

 islands of Schouten and Roggewein, Lieutenant 

 Kotzebue has displayed such an undaunted courage, 

 and such great perseverance, united with so much 

 able seamanship, that he may, in this respect, be 

 placed at the side of the celebrated Fhnders. The 

 discovery of the islands of Radack, so far is highly 

 important, as it has made us acquainted with a 

 people who are undoubtedly the mildest and most 

 amiable in the South Sea ; and I think it is not an 

 unjust wish, that the entire investigation of this great 

 archipelago may not be intrusted to any one but to 

 him, who has gained in such a great degree the love 

 and filial confidence of these good-natured people, 

 who revere him as their benefactor, and whose 

 return they so earnestly implored on his parting. 



X 4 



